Warner Bros. Discovery sued AI image-generation company Midjourney on Thursday, alleging blatant theft of its works to generate images of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo, and other copyrighted characters.

In a complaint filed in federal court in Los Angeles, Warner Bros. stated that this theft enabled Midjourney to train its image and video services, providing subscribers with high-quality, downloadable images of its characters “in any conceivable scenario.”

Warner Bros. further alleges that Midjourney knew its actions were improper, having previously blocked subscribers from generating videos based on many infringing images. However, the company removed this safeguard last month, touting the change as an “improvement.”

The complaint asserts: “Midjourney made a calculated, profit-driven decision to offer no protection to copyright owners, despite Midjourney's clear awareness of the staggering scale of its piracy and copyright infringement.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and disgorgement of profits, along with an injunction to halt further infringements.

Previously, The Walt Disney Company and Universal Pictures, owned by Comcast, filed similar lawsuits against Midjourney in June involving characters including Darth Vader, Bart Simpson, Shrek, and The Little Mermaid's Ariel.

According to Warner Bros.' complaint, San Francisco-based Midjourney—led by founder David Holz and launched in 2022—had nearly 21 million users as of September 2024, with estimated 2024 revenue of $300 million.

Midjourney and its attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In an August 6 filing related to Disney and Universal Studios cases, Midjourney argued that copyright law “does not grant absolute control” over the use of copyrighted works.

It further contended that using such works to train generative AI models constitutes fair use, helping ensure the free flow of ideas and information.

Warner Bros. Discovery's businesses include Warner Bros. Entertainment, Turner Entertainment, DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera Animations, and Cartoon Network.

The case is titled “Warner Bros Entertainment Inc et al v Midjourney Inc,” pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California under case number 25-08376.